


Endless Lives

by CloudFry



Category: Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Tales of Berseria
Genre: Action, Alternate Canon, Fantasy, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 13:33:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17162897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloudFry/pseuds/CloudFry
Summary: When all things in life cease to matter save for one, the boundaries of dedication and obsession fade into obscurity. When one finds themselves in the depths of such mania, their only hope for redemption is through the potential helping hands of others. No non-canon pairings.





	1. C01 - Flight

_**Author's Note:** _ _This story takes place after_ _**The Wanderer of Worlds** _ _in the Tales of Berseria fandom. There are 8 outlined chapters for this story, but it remains to be seen if they'll be written at all in the future. The premise is more of a mild thought experiment than anything else. Still, let me know what you think, if you want._

_Oh, and to those of you waiting for the Berseria/Zestiria Crossover_ _**The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing** _ _, expect the first two chapters to be published on New Year's Day, Pacific Standard Time!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 1 – Flight.**

A dry gust blew through the arid land, gently wafting over the towering waves of sand lying stagnant in a vast ocean of dunes. The land as far as the eye could see was dyed a deep orange hue in the face of the rising sun cresting the distant horizon, contrasted by the deep dark shadows of the rolling hills of sand. Nothing lived for miles around. A timeless silence blanketed the entire land, unbroken.

It was the embodiment of a dying world.

Suddenly, a blinding flash of white enveloped the crest of a random dune, illuminating the surroundings in a brilliant cutting burst of color in a dull world. When it had faded, three foreign figures could be seen standing on the dune, blinking and taking in their surroundings with practiced eyes.

They were intruders of the highest order. Birds flying in foreign skies.

"Ugh." Leonex Davidson grunted as he stretched, raising his arms high up above his head luxuriously as he glanced around absently. "Why is it  _always_ sand?" He complained into the air as he took in the sea of dunes as far as the eye could see.

At his feet, his malak Hawk agreed with a violent shake of his fur, sending grains of sand flying every which way.

"Gah! Quit it you mutt!" His master yelped as he leapt to the side avoiding the spray.

The wolf pup simply huffed, casually scratching his right ear with his hind leg.

"Oh, why do I have to be stuck with you…" Leo mock groaned.

At his side, his fellow Wanderer of Worlds rolled her eyes. "I ask myself that every day." She remarked dryly, a hand on her hip as she continued to scan the distant horizon with her acute vision.

Leo glared at the black coat wearing woman. "Velvet, I know you're a daemon and all that, but surely even  _you_  can appreciate a healthy helping of sand hatred?" He muttered sourly as he shuffled around, his rifle cradled habitually in his hands.

Velvet Crowe shrugged noncommittally in response as she eyed the rising sun in the distance. "It's not hard to wash clothes." She pointed out wryly. "All you need is patience."

"Says the Lord of Chores." Leo snipped back, his eyes glazed over as he mentally fiddled with the device in his brain.

Velvet just let out a drawn-out sigh in response.

Hawk rolled his eyes at his fellow companions, trotting around and sniffing the air. No scents wafted in the sky aside from the arid, all-encompassing musk of sunbaked sand.

Another dry gust blew through the land, rustling grains of sand at their feet and playing with their clothes. Silence permeated everything.

Leo nodded with satisfaction, dismissing the augmented reality notifications from his vision and turned to his fellow traveler. "Right. This world looks good." He summarized, shouldering his strapped rifle.

Both Velvet and Hawk turned to him expectantly, both having sufficiently confirmed the lack of any hostile presences in the area.

He continued, "The constant background radiation of this world is moderately high. The three of us should be out of this place in around 11 days, give or take."

Velvet nodded, taking all the information in with practiced ease. "What's the plan then?" She gestured to the incredibly wide expanse of nothingness all around them. "Pick a direction?"

Leo kneeled down to his malak. "Hawk, any trails nearby?"

Sniffing acutely, the wolf pup gave a tentative nod. Both travelers immediately translated that to mean a "sort of."

Velvet shrugged, shifting on her feet. "Better than nothing. Let's go before Leo here starves to death again." She began strolling in the direction Hawk indicated, her steel boots sinking into the sand.

The man in question glared after her as he followed. "You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" He muttered, irked.

She gave him a smirk, waving her arm carelessly. "It just goes to show how little of a man you are. Only you would need a woman 9 years younger than you to carry you."

Trotting alongside the daemon, Hawk yipped something resembling laughter directed at his master.

Leo glared at the two of them. "Might I remind you two  _deviants_ that that world we were in was a damn  _nuclear wasteland_? I feel like you guys might be forgetting that part!" He snipped, fiddling with the ammo stored in his coat.

Velvet shrugged. "There were fish in the waters." She pointed out dryly. "You might've avoided going hungry if you'd just learned how to fish correctly."

"Those 'fish' were frickin 50 feet long!" Leo exclaimed heatedly. "It might escape your  _painfully_ small understanding, Velvet, but it's hard for a squishy, land-dwelling human like me to catch a gigantic, venomous, mutated shark-like eel!"

The therion rolled her eyes. "We've fought things much,  _much_ scarier than 50 feet gigantic venomous, mutated shark-like eels." She pointed out. "You were just scared."

Leo hmphed. "Then why didn't you fish them for me in the first place, again?"

"Because you said you didn't want my help. You wanted to 'prove' yourself as a true survivalist." Velvet raised an eyebrow. "Remember? Or did the malnutrition make your memories hazy?"

"…I have no idea what you're talking about."

Velvet rolled her eyes, once more scanning the distance for any sort of feature.

"It still astounds me," she muttered, "the fact that you've managed to survive travelling worlds for 5 years before you came to Desolation with the way you go about doing things."

Leo had no comeback for that, so he went for the default response. "…Shut up." He muttered sourly.

Velvet smirked victoriously. "Still, what do I know?" She shrugged lethargically. "My understanding is so  _painfully_ small, after all."

Hawk nudged Leo pointedly.

He sighed. "Yes, fine. I was wrong, Velvet." He grimaced. "I do, in fact, need a  _strong woman_  like you at my side to guide me through life." He breathed cheekily.

Velvet twitched. "The way you said that just sounds wrong."

"Well, aren't you my de-facto wife?" Leo grinned slyly. "Who knows, maybe this desert encompasses the entire planet and I'm the only man left in the world. Then you'd  _have_  to choose me, right?"

Velvet deadpanned. "I'd choose Hawk."

The malak in question yipped happily and nudged Velvet's leg affectionately in response.

"Ouch." Leo muttered. "Is it my personality or something?" He trailed off dramatically.

Velvet rolled her eyes at the man's antics. "…What the hell did Martha ever see in you anyways?" She asked pointedly.

The man shrugged at length. "Beats me. I asked her a thousand times back in the day on Earth, and she just went," His voice rose in pitch, "'I only married you for your money, of course.'" Leo grinned nostalgically, his face tender as the memories returned.

Recognizing the emotions nipping at her friend's heels, Velvet rested a hand on the man's shoulder, jolting him out of his stupor.

She met his eyes meaningfully.

"You'll see her again." She intoned softly. "I'll make sure of it."

The memories faded with the reminder of their flight's end destination.

Leo smiled genuinely. There were no words he had to describe the happiness that he felt every morning when he registered the fact that he was  _no longer alone_.

These days, he was truly alive. He was flying.

And it was really, really nice.

His mouth upturned into a wry grin as he met the therion's eyes. "Right." He drawled lightly. "So," he clapped his hands, "does that mean you'll do my laundry for me?" He smiled cheekily.

The man then yelped as the same hand on his shoulder suddenly pushed and caused him to topple forward into the sand rolling down one of the dunes in a plume of dust.

"GAH! VELVET!" He sputtered, kicking his legs to stop his descent, glaring up at the therion at the peak of the dune. "Goddamnit, I was  _kidding_ , woman!" He spat some sand out of his mouth.

Velvet just huffed in response, a light smile on her face. "I'm sorry, I forgot you're a squishy, land-dwelling human." She quipped.

The man just grumbled wordlessly, cursing as he vigorously shook the grains of sand out of his hair.

The woman standing above him blinked as she noticed something shining in the distance. "…Leo?" She called down.

"What is it?" The man asked, instantly turning serious at her tone.

Velvet met the man's eyes down the slope. "I see a train."

* * *

BING! BING!

"…Just so you know, the trains are running."

The screeching of metal on metal resounded through the air as the two travelers approached the train station, the solitary edifice perched on a sandy cliffside overlooking a vast ocean beyond. Leo watched as the train hanging from a monorail system departed the station, headed on the hanging rails off into the distant horizon.

"Well, I guess it's safe to say that we're not the only ones on this world." Leo remarked as they approached, noting the numerous humans lethargically going about their business in the shaded areas of the station.

"What a relief." Velvet muttered dryly, her eyes snapping keenly from person to person, analyzing their equipment and dispositions.

"You don't have to sound so happy about it, you know." The man at her side grumbled. His eyes narrowed as he took in the state of the train station. "…Still, you'd find more cheer back in that nuclear wasteland." He muttered.

She nodded wordlessly in agreement as they neared.

Her body tensed subtly as she registered a young woman running up to the two of them through the sand.

"Hey! You guys need supplies?" The girl called brightly, hefting her backpack behind her as she came to a halt in front of the two travelers arriving at the station. "Whatever you need, I got!"

Leo exchanged glances with Velvet. "I think we're good for now," he shook his head, "thanks."

The girl's face instantly fell in response.

Her shoulders slumped as she sighed. "Come on." She whined. "You're telling me that you two treasure hunters haven't used up all your potions out there in the ruins?" She tried half-heartedly.

Velvet shifted on her feet, putting a hand on her hip. "Business hasn't been so good, huh?" She prompted.

The girl scoffed, meeting the woman's eyes. "You kiddin' me?" She sighed dejectedly. "…I knew my brother was shitting me when he said that the Dead Dunes was a 'ripe place' to sell supplies." Her fists curled. "That brat was probably just trying to get back at me for that prank I pulled on him two hundred years ago!" She muttered hatefully to her feet. "Bastard never forgets anything."

The two otherworldly travelers exchanged silent incredulous glances at the information presented.

Leo asked conversationally, "How old is your brother? Isn't he a bit old to be pulling stuff like that?"

The girl gave him a weird look. "He was 8 back before we all stopped aging. Just like everyone at that age, he retains some of annoying boyish tendencies despite the fact that it's been so long." She cocked her head, raising an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you know this?"

Velvet answered, "Leo here is my own older brother." She gestured disdainfully at the man next to him. "He's always trying to measure himself up to other people's siblings to try and show how much better and 'mature' he is than them."

"Hey!" Leo pouted.

"Ah." The girl nodded sagely. "I get the feeling. Brothers can be  _such_ a hassle sometimes, no matter what age they are, huh?"

Velvet smirked. "Absolutely."

Leo just shook his head in amusement. The brother and sister excuse just always seemed to work, regardless of what world they were in.

He changed the subject. "So," He prompted, "are you going to stay here in the Dead Dunes then," he asked, seamlessly familiarizing himself with the new terminology, "and keep trying to sell stuff?" He gestured meaningfully around the deserted station they stood in front of.

The young woman sighed, shaking her head. "I guess there's really no point. I've been here for over 2 years now, but I've only made a handful of gil." She looked away. "…I guess I really should just head back to Yusnaan and meet up with my brother again. If he's still alive, that is."

"Are things bad in… Yusnaan?" Velvet asked. At the merchant's inquisitive glance, she explained, "We've been in the Dead Dunes for a long time."

The girl nodded, accepting the explanation. "Yusnaan's as same as ever. The Patron's been keeping everyone entertained, although last I heard from people arriving from the trains, he's taken to shutting himself in the Palace, and keeping the Augur's Quarter locked up tight. Everyone's been super unhappy about it." Her eyes seemed to shine at the opportunity for gossip.

Her voice took a lower, secretive tone. "I heard that the last time anyone saw him was during a party two days ago. That was when a whole load of chaos infusions burst out and that Savior lady broke into the palace!" She exclaimed. "Apparently, she claims that she's the servant of God himself or something! It's all so crazy!"

"You're kidding." Leo mumbled noncommittally, soaking in the presented information. He glanced over his shoulder at his companion. "Velvet, what say we head to Yusnaan?" He shrugged. "I don't think we have anything better to do in the meanwhile."

"Might be a good idea." Velvet shrugged. "It does sound interesting."

The girl grinned, happy that her gossip had had an effect on the travelers. "If you do, you're in luck! The next train goes direct to Yusnaan from the Dead Dunes and arrives at noon!" she pointed at the arrivals and departures display hanging from the roof of the train station.

The two travelers' eyes were drawn to the clock sitting next to the display.

11:15.

"Do you know how much the tickets cost?" Leo prompted. "We're running kinda low at the moment."

"Should be 400 gil, give or take." The girl shrugged. "If you need funds, feel free to sell me anything!" She suggested aggressively.

Velvet nodded. "We'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the info."

"No problem! Come back soon!" The girl waved as the two trudged off towards the train station.

After they were sure the trader was out of earshot, Leo commented dryly, "…Well, I can't say I've ever been in a world where nobody ages. That's a new one."

"You're telling me." Velvet responded, laying a hand on her hip. "That was a lot of information we just dug up." Her eyebrows furrowed as she put a finger to her lips in thought. "From the look of things, this world is in pretty rough shape."

"Yeah." Leo agreed as they stepped into the shaded area of the station, their steps crunching on sand-encrusted concrete as they did so. "We'll have to find a way to make some of that 'gil' ourselves, if we're to get anywhere."

Right on cue, his stomach growled noisily.

The therion sighed dramatically. "Must you always be so ravenous  _all the time_?" She implored.

Leo shot her a glare. "Some people aren't sustained by the byproduct of a god and actually have to eat things to live, you know." He pointed out.

"Right." Velvet waved a hand. "Well, might as well ask around a bit more. So far," She summarized, "we've learned of two places; the Dead Dunes, of which we are currently in, and Yusnaan, where someone called the Patron was attacked by someone called the Savior."

"That's not much to go on. Let's split up and gather some more info." Leo suggested. He gestured to the clock above their heads. "I'll see you back here at 11:50?"

Velvet nodded wordlessly and turned away, headed to talk to a train station employee lounging on the steps. Leo himself turned around and went to investigate a local merchant's wares.

High up above the station, the sun continued its relentless assault of heat, baking the deserted dunes for miles around.

* * *

"MONSTERS!"

"EVERYBODY, RUN!"

Velvet's body instantly tensed in alarm at the sounds of screams echoing through the station. She whirled around away from the terrified merchant she was talking with towards the entrance, her gauntlet blade arm tense at her side. Her eyes narrowed.

A few merchants and train station employees sprinted as quickly as possible past her, away from the rapidly expanding  _bubble_ of wavering otherworldly material, obscuring the desert beyond with dark, ominous particles. A nefarious humming permeated the world, deafening the therion's acute hearing and accompanying the screams of the bystanders as they fled away from the strange anomaly.

She quickly snapped her right hand around the wrist of the merchant whom she had been speaking with before he could run as well. Her eyes burrowed into his terrified ones. "What the hell is that?!" She hissed.

The man's eyes were bulging in fear. "T-That's a chaos infusion!"

"Chaos infusion?" Velvet parroted. "The hell are those?"

"They're pockets of chaos, and wherever they spawn, monsters do too! Now let me GO!" The merchant tugged fearfully at her arm.

Quickly releasing the man and letting him scamper off, Velvet turned back to the expanding bubble of chaos with narrowed eyes.

The very air around the bubble seemed to warp and shift, plastered with strange otherworldly checkered material; as if there were a light fabric obscuring the area from the outside world. An unnatural wind billowed out through the train station, causing Velvet's long hair and black coat to flap wildly behind her.

All of it just felt inherently  _wrong_. A part of her wanted to do just as the others were doing; run away from the unnatural tear in the universe in favor of staying in the safety of the known world.

But… where was Leo?

She threw a look over her shoulder. The hallway towards the station platform was entirely deserted. Her gaze fell back once more onto the bubble of chaos.

Suddenly, a high-pitched female scream of terror pierced the rumbling of the chaos.

"HELP! ANYBODY!"

Without hesitation, Velvet Crowe sprang into action, charging straight into the whirling influx of chaos with her bandaged left arm held out in front of her.

The moment she entered the chaos, the world darkened alarmingly around her. The very air felt hard to breathe while sizzling dark particles whirled around in the billowing winds stinging her eyes. Pushing through the raging forces tearing at her clothes, the therion pushed on heedlessly through the winds and towards the origin of the scream.

"AHHH!"

Suddenly, Velvet registered the young form of the girl trader whom had spoken with her and Leo earlier on the ground, huddling terrified in a ball in the middle of the entrance to the train station as she was approached from all sides by half a dozen monsters.

Floating balls of fur with massive fanged jaws and long, dangling ears.

Velvet's gauntlet blade flew out of its sheath instantly as she charged forward through the wind, crying a battle cry as she flew towards the group of monsters.

Her blade found the first monster and sliced easily through the thin fur, driving a thick gouge through the monster's round body and sending blood flying into the chaos-filled air. The monster squealed nosily as it died, its body tumbling heavily onto the concrete down below.

Velvet quickly spun around on her left foot, her right boot rising up as she did.

SLASH!

The second monster was presented with the view of the woman's ironclad sole before a hidden blade shot from the compartment on the back, slicing its eyes right out. The monster's corpse fell heavily onto the floor next to the young girl watching the battle with wide, disbelieving eyes.

Velvet exhaled tightly as she leapt backwards, the remaining four monsters charging her position. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up suddenly in alarm, warning her beforehand of the charging electricity in the air.

Quickly as she could, the therion dove forward, avoiding the violent impact of electricity discharging directly onto the concrete she'd been standing on.

_Magic!_ Velvet swore mentally as she dodged the vicious serrated teeth of another beast as it tried to intercept her dodge.

With a cry, she spun around and sunk her sword directly through the center mass of the monster, impaling it. With a flick of her wrist, Velvet sheathed her sword, extracting the blade from the bloody mess of the dead monster and dove once more, dodging another strike of lightning. She cursed once more as she was forced to leap backwards in order to doge a second strike.

The remaining three monsters seemed to have decided their best bet was to use ranged magic instead of trying to take on their opponent's slicing blades. Velvet's eyes narrowed as she took in the group of three monsters on the other end of the station. There was only one solution.

Her gaze shot to the girl sitting there, shell-shocked with her eyes fixated on her savior.

Velvet sighed internally.

She gritted her teeth and did what she had to do.

SQUELCH!

The therion tried her best to ignore the renewed hysterical screams of the trader girl as she took in the massive serrated blood-red claw extending from the strange woman's left arm. Instead, she focused on her three opponents.

The moment another spell was thrown her way, Velvet acted.

Her claw shot up above her head, catching the bolt of lightning cast her way and deflecting it and sending it harmlessly into the wall with a thunderous rumble. With a roar, Velvet charged forward, her claw held out in front of her as she deflected the subsequent, desperate spells sent her way. With wild, rage-filled eyes, the daemon raised her arm high in the air as she neared her prey.

"DISCORD!" She roared.

CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!

With an inhuman scream, the daemon tore into the three monsters with her massive claw, rending deep gouges in the very stones below, driving their blood deep into the concrete. The dying squeals of the monsters resounded through the blasting winds of the chaos infusion.

Gasping for breath, Velvet's eyes shot left and right, scanning for any further threats hiding in the folds of the chaos bubble. Absently, she gripped one of the round corpses in her left claw and squeezed, devouring the monster for nutrients.

Abruptly, the woman remembered the presence of the girl she had saved. She turned reluctantly to meet the merchant's terrified eyes.

"Y-y-you…!" The girl stammered wordlessly in fear.

"…What?" She asked simply, unaffectedly, her claw continuing to gulp loudly in the silence.

"Y-you're a... m… m-monster…" The girl squeaked.

Velvet sighed, waving a hand over her shoulder uncaringly. "So I've heard." She remarked dryly.

With a disgusting squelch, Velvet's arm finished devouring the monster, clenching into a fist with an explosion of blood. The therion's eyes were hard and cold as she held the terrified girl's gaze.

Just like that, the girl's eyes abruptly rolled back in their sockets and she fainted in shock, her body tilting slowly backwards.

The girl was saved from cracking her head on the concrete by Leo as he suddenly ran over, just barely catching her and laying her gently on the ground. Hawk trotted over by his side, his hackles raised as he eyed the surrounding chaos warily.

Leo met Velvet's hard eyes. "Some people, am I right?" He commented wryly over the howling winds. "Talk about grateful."

Hawk yipped reassuringly, nudging Velvet's leg warmly.

Despite herself, the therion found herself comforted by the reminder.

"…Right." She breathed with a soft smile.

Ever since they had discovered that Velvet's domain still retained the qualities of Innominat's influence and therefore heightened surrounding humans' resonances, Leo had always made it a point to remind her of how human he saw her to be.

It was rather endearing, she had to admit.

With a sigh, Leo stood up, glancing around at the howling winds around them. "Still." He muttered, observing the darkened world around them. "The hell is going on with this world…?"

Velvet shrugged, moving on to a different monster corpse. "Beats me. The merchant I was talking to called this a chaos infusion. All I know is that they spawn monsters." With a squelch, her claw dug into the round furball, greedily sucking away.

Leo trotted up to her side, the unconscious merchant slung over his shoulder. His lips upturned into a grin.

"So… How do they taste?" He asked wryly.

Velvet gave him a look as she ate.

"What?!" Leo yelped indignantly. "I can't help but be curious, alright?! They look like giant meatballs!"

At his feet, Hawk rolled his eyes.

As the monster disappeared with a squelch, Velvet shook her head in exasperation. "You're not eating them." She snipped shortly.

"Awe! But-!"

Velvet shot him a glare. "We've just arrived in this world. We have no idea if they're toxic or not." She shook her head. "I know you're hungry, but you could at  _least_ wait until we buy something we know for sure is edible."

Leo pouted. "But you're eating them!"

"Some people are sustained by the byproduct of a god and don't actually have to  _eat_ to live, you know." Velvet shot back wryly, crushing another monster head out of existence.

Her hunting partner just pouted at that.

"…I wonder what will happen to this so-called chaos infusion, though." Velvet muttered as she ate. "It doesn't seem to be fading."

Leo glanced pointedly at his malak whose ears were perked and alert. "I don't think we got all of the monsters." He muttered. "Keep an eye out."

"Right."

Together, the two of them made their way through the darkened chaos cloud, Velvet devouring the corpses of the monster that she'd devoured.

With the final corpse devoured, Velvet dispelled her daemon arm and glanced around. "We should get going." She suggested.

"Are you sure-"

"No." Velvet deadpanned. "I'm not letting you eat one of those things."

Leo grumbled sourly in response.

Suddenly, the two of them halted immediately when Hawk began growling in alarm. Their eyes were drawn behind them as they vaguely registered a pack of similar round monsters charging their position, out for blood.

"Velvet!" Leo called out sharply, hefting the girl in his arms.

"On it!" She replied. With practiced grace, Velvet charged forward into the chaos. Her companions disappeared in the quagmire behind her, leaving her all alone with the monsters.

She raised her bandaged arm in preparation to wreak death and devastation.

CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!

The therion flinched as all of a sudden, the pack of monsters was obliterated by a massive thunderstorm piercing directly through the heart of the swirling chaos above. The high-pitched dying squeals of the monsters resounded off the walls of the station; walls that were becoming more and more visible as the chaos permeating the air began to dissipate.

It took Velvet seconds to locate the source of the magic spell. She whirled around behind her to guardedly face a person standing there, a massive blood red blade still crackling with residual energy clutched in her gloved right hand.

"Who the hell-?" Velvet breathed, her eyes taking in the strange appearance of the woman staring back at her with strikingly piercing eyes. Long, billowing clothing hung off her agile frame, as unique as the bright pink hue of her hair. A bright red shield complemented her enormous weapon, held with the precision only a trained master of combat could achieve.

There was just something about her that made her seem… off to Velvet Crowe, putting her immediately on edge.

It almost felt as if she didn't belong in this land.

The woman's azure eyes were hard and piercing, taking in the other woman standing in the remains of the chaos infusion with a soldier's nuance. Her sword was still held lightly in her grip, ready to be used if necessary.

She abruptly blinked, her eyes subtly shifting as she listened to something Velvet couldn't hear.

Evidently coming to a conclusion, the woman nodded seemingly to herself and relaxed, sheathing her sword and unclenching her muscles. Her eyes met the other woman's.

"…Are you alright?" She asked, her voice surprisingly soft for such a hardened woman. "You look like you can handle yourself."

Around the two women, the clouds of chaos continued to dissipate at a slow rate. Leo and Hawk were nowhere to be found. For now, it would seem that they were the only two people in the world.

Following through with the stranger's lead, Velvet relaxed. Shifting her weight and putting her right gauntleted hand on her hip, she replied, "I can say the same for you." Her eyes were drawn to the charred remains of the monsters smoking lightly on the floor behind her.

The woman nodded absently, accepting the comment. "What were you doing in a chaos infusion?" She asked seriously, her narrowed brows conveying the importance of her question. "Why didn't you run like the others?"

Velvet shrugged lightly. "I was curious." She admitted easily. "I'd never seen one before."

"Never?" The stranger repeated. Her eyes narrowed. "Where the hell are you from?"

"Not around here, obviously." Velvet responded dryly, her arms crossing resolutely across her chest. "I could ask the same of you." She shot back.

"Right back at you." The other woman standing across Velvet eyed her with clearly mounting suspicion. The two warrior women stayed there, staring each other down tersely.

Abruptly, the woman whispered something under her breath; something so low that Velvet was sure that if she had been a regular human she wouldn't've heard. "Hope. Is this woman… human?" She whispered.

Velvet's eyes narrowed at the question.

Faintly, the sound of a second voice reached the therion's ears, barely distinct when she focused all her efforts on ascertaining it.

"…I don't know." A youthful male voice responded from somewhere on the stranger's body. "My instruments are acting up… they're having trouble pinpointing her for some reason. All I can tell you is that there's definitely something off about her. There should be no reason for any normal human to be charging into chaos infusions. Be careful, Light."

"I will." The woman, evidently called Light, breathed back before meeting Velvet's eyes once more.

Velvet raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "He's right, you know. You should be careful about me." She remarked dryly, enjoying the surprise that colored the stoic woman's expression in response. "Who knows what kind of monster I could be?" She drawled, putting a hand on her hip casually.

Light's eyes were instantly guarded. "How did you hear that?" She hissed. Her body tensed instinctively, wary of the potential threat standing across from her.

"Something's wrong." The boy's voice was urgent. "There's no way she should be hearing me. Light-"

"Who are you?" The pink-haired stranger demanded harshly, interrupting the voice in her head as she reached for her sword. " _What_  are you?"

Velvet's eyes narrowed. "I don't see how any of that is your business." She shot back easily, her own muscles tensing, readying for battle.

"Oh, it's my business alright." Light growled back, unhooking her red sword from behind her back and hefting it forward easily. "I don't have time for any surprises right now."

"Funny." Velvet shrugged easily. "I myself have all the time in the world."

Light's lips curled into a small, confident smirk. "…You so sure about that?" She asked lightly.

Velvet blinked in surprise.

The moment her eyes opened, she cursed as she registered the form of the stranger suddenly directly in front of her, her brilliant crimson sword pointed directly at her throat. Velvet's eyes were wide as they shot between the woman's current location versus where she had been mere seconds before. Somehow… she had teleported?!

_How in the world?!_

"Now." The woman holding her at sword point prompted succinctly, her muscles tensed to unleash a killing blow. "Answer the question." Azure eyes met amber. "What. Are. You?" She enunciated.

"I think that's a question I should be asking you!" Velvet retorted angrily, cursing her luck at having ended up in this situation. Her mind instantly ran through all the possible ways to defend herself against an opponent whom could teleport at will. There weren't many.

Her fists curled.

"LIGHT!" The boy's sudden urgent warning quickly pushed the therion into action.

With a fierce roar, Velvet Crowe slung her body around, corkscrewing around while lifting her foot in the air. The crimson blade sliced through the air above her in slow motion as she whirled around.

PING!

With a resounding clang, her ironclad boot clashed with the otherworldly material of the red blade, sending the weapon along with the woman's arm off to the side. Quickly, Velvet threw her hand out, bouncing off the floor of the train station below and pushing her entire body away from her opponent.

Raven hair slinging around, Velvet twisted around acrobatically in a backflip, her gauntlet blade extending at the same time and raising just in time to parry a maroon blade as Light retaliated. The two blades clashed with a deafening clang.

Velvet grunted at the fierce resistance to her blade, pushing with her right arm with all her might against the massive great sword. "Who hell are you?!" She yelled.

The woman didn't bother replying, simply spinning around with a yell, her blade singing through the air as she blitzed around.

The therion tensed, ready to dodge.

"VELVET!"

The cry cut through the air. Both women froze at the voice.

"CROSSFIRE RIGHT!"

Immediately, Velvet leapt unquestioningly to the left.

CRACK!

Velvet's eyes were wide when she registered her opponent mirroring her efforts, dodging the bullet simultaneously as if through habit. For some reason, the woman's blade went slack even as the bullet whizzed by her with inches to spare, fervently disturbing the canvas of her clothing.

"That voice…!" The stranger breathed, her eyes zeroing in behind her forgotten opponent.

"Huh?!" Velvet breathed, glancing over her shoulder.

Leo's expression was one of utter shock and surprise as he stepped slowly forward through the fading remains of chaos, absently cocking his smoking rifle. The smoldering hot shell plinked on the floor next to his malak whose eyes were curious as he followed, as confused as Velvet was to his master's actions.

The man stopped besides the therion, facing off against the pink-haired stranger across the hall. The silence was as thick as the chaos that had occupied the space moments before.

Leo opened his mouth slowly, finding his voice.

"…Light?" He breathed incredulously. "That you?"

Velvet blinked in surprise.

In response, the strange woman responded with equal shock. "Leo?!" She breathed. "How…?!"

BING! BING!

"Just so you know, the train bound for Yusnaan is arriving now."

The screeching of metal on metal resounded through the air, echoing down the hallway.


	2. C02 - Dress

**Chapter 2 – Dress.**

The constant, repetitive percussion of the mechanisms propelling the train forward defined the inside ambiance of the carriage. Outside the rusted, machined windows flew an endless, dark blue ocean uninterrupted by land as far as the eye could see. A loud hissing rang out as the brakes of the train engaged, slowing the vehicle down in preparation for an upcoming turn in the monorail system.

"…It's been awhile." Lightning Farron remarked, absently tapping her fingers on the table between her and the otherworldly travelers sitting across the compartment from her.

As the train entered the turn, the sun managed to momentarily find its way inside the window of the compartment and brighten the room.

Leo grunted, leaning back in the cushioned seat while rubbing Hawk's fur absently, meeting the pink-haired soldier's eyes. "That's putting it lightly." He shook his head in disbelief. "It's been years for me ever since I left you all in Oerba. I can't fathom how many years it's been for you all." He glanced out the window. "Things really have changed here in Nova Chrysalia… haven't they."

"That's putting it lightly." Lightning returned easily.

The sun intruding into the compartment was abruptly cut off as the train finished its turn, leaving the room once more in a murky darkness lit only by a dim light bulb humming above their heads.

Velvet spoke up. "So… I take it you know each other?" She raised an eyebrow, glancing between her fellow traveler beside her and the stranger across from them.

Leo grunted, placing Hawk on the table in favor of fiddling with his rifle, field stripping the components absently as he responded.

"It was a few years before I came to Desolation." He explained. "Back then, I was just starting out my travels, all green and cheery." He scoffed self-deprecatingly.

"I ran into this one along the way," he gestured to the pink-haired woman across the table, "and just ended up travelling with her for a bit."

Lightning rolled her eyes. "If Snow hadn't insisted, I would've left your ass right there in the Steppe. There was no way a whiny little brat like you could've kept up with us L'cie."

"I don't think  _anyone_  could've kept up with you back then." Leo shot back easily as he pulled a large spring out of his gun and onto the table. "Sergeant Lightning Farron, the hard-ass soldier-lady, the one particularly adept at giving the hard shoulder to everyone."

She scoffed in response. "With the way you were complaining about everything in the beginning, I think  _anyone_  right in their right mind would've given you the hard shoulder."

"Hey! I got better, didn't I?!"

Lightning shook her head in exasperation.

She turned her gaze over to the therion watching the exchange curiously. "How the hell do you put up with him all the time?" She implored. "I would've gone mad long ago if I had to travel worlds with him."

Velvet let out a companionable laugh. "It's easy if you smack him at least once a day." She shrugged. "I've gotten the hang of it."

"Ah." The pink-haired woman smirked. "I wish I tried that back then."

"Gah. Now there's two of them." Leo moaned as an aside to his malak pup sniffing at his gun parts. "Sadists."

Hawk let out a bark of mocking wolfen laughter at his master.

"Shut it, mutt."

Lightning watched the exchange with interest. "I'm glad you've got companions with you, at least." She commented. Her eyebrow raised. "I take it you haven't managed to return to your home world, then?"

Leo nodded. "Although," he put a thoughtful hand up to his chin, "the fact that I somehow managed to return to Nova Chrysalia by chance within the span of a few years is especially promising…"

A thoughtful silence returned. The clinking of Leo's work as he disassembled his firearm on the table meshed with the clanking ambiance of the train as it travelled through the endless world.

"Lightning." Velvet prompted. The other woman turned to her friend's companion. "Why everyone has stopped aging in this world?" She asked curiously. "I take it that that isn't normal."

"Right." Leo agreed, meeting the Lightning's gaze. "What the hell's happened while I've been gone? Are you still a L'cie?" He asked. "What have you been doing? Where are the others?"

Lightning nodded at the reasonable questions.

"Things have… changed."

Her gaze slid absently off to the side towards the rushing waters outside the window, her fingers tapping restlessly on the table as she thought back long, long ago.

"…We succeeded in our quest." She began. "We managed to defeat our Fal'Cie overlords and freed ourselves from our focuses." She held up a fist habitually to her chest, feeling the ghost of a mark underneath her clothing. "Serah and Dajh were resurrected as a result. Cocoon was saved."

Leo blinked. "That's great!" He exclaimed.

"But that was only the beginning."

Lightning shifted in her seat, propping her elbow on the table and resting her chin upon her fist. "Then came the years of battle between the goddess and a challenger." Lightning shook her head.

"…We lost." Her fist clenched. "The goddess of death whom I was protecting died and…" She shook her head. "…So too did Serah."

The train car fell silent. The redundant, monotonous rattling of the train mechanisms overhead filled the shadowed space inside.

"…And then what happened?" Leo prompted softly, leaning forward in his seat, the disassembled firearm on the table forgotten.

By his side, Velvet and Hawk were quiet, recognizing the extent of the trials woman in front of them had evidently undergone.

"I fell asleep." Lightning mumbled. "For the longest time." She lifted a hand, absently observing the red glove covering it. "It was only a few days ago that somebody woke me."

"Who?"

"…God." Lightning turned to meet Leo's eyes.

Velvet thought back to everything that the trader girl had told them back in the desert. She remembered Lightning's incredible, time-stopping powers during their brief altercation. She came to the conclusion right then and there.

"You're the savior." Velvet concluded. "The one who appeared in Yusnaan."

Leo glanced at Velvet in surprise before returning his gaze to Lightning.

"That's what they call me." Lightning confirmed apathetically.

Leo let out a breath, shaking his head in disbelief. "You really have been busy, haven't you, Light." He shifted in his seat. "And what about the others?" He prompted.

Lightning gave a shrug. "I don't know where most of the others are. Snow is in Yusnaan, I know that much."

Leo began absently reassembling his firearm. "What about the rest of the former L'cie?" He asked.

Light's eyes were distant. "I don't know." She openly admitted.

"So much time has passed since we were all together. I have no idea where Sazh, Dajh, Vanille, or Fang are. And Hope-"

"-Is currently listening to us as we speak." Velvet finished her sentence for her.

Lightning's eyes zeroed in on Velvet's with piercing acuteness.

"…Right." Lightning muttered, angling her body to face the strange woman across the table from her fully. "And how  _did_  you hear him in the first place, again?" She asked pointedly.

Velvet hadn't forgotten the initial hostility and wariness of the so-called savior when they had first met.

She glanced to her side and met Leo's eyes. He gave Lightning a cursory glance before nodding in response.

"It's fine, Velvet." He assured, sliding the barrel of his rifle down to meet the receiver assembly. "Light's a friend."

Trusting her friend's judgement, Velvet nodded back and turned to meet the Savior's eyes. "I'm… different." She shrugged. "To put it simply. It's a long story."

"…Fair enough." Lightning returned after a pause. She leaned inwards, placing her head on her fist. "What I'm curious to learn in particular is why you've decided to join Leo in his fool's errand of a quest to get back to his home world." She asked. "You and that wolf animal of yours." She jerked her head towards Hawk, who flicked a tail in absent recognition of his mention.

Velvet glanced at Hawk before returning her gaze to Lightning's.

"…I left my world with no regrets." Velvet murmured. Her eyes drifted to Leo as well as the boundless ocean through the window behind him.

"I don't really have a reason in particular why I'm travelling with him." Her lips curved into a slight smile at the inside joke. "I guess you could say I'm not really one for reason."

By her side, Leo coughed into his hand humorously. At Lightning's inquisitive look, he waved the matter away. "And about the 'wolf animal,'" he added, gesturing to Hawk, "he tagged along as well." He grinned, running his hand through the malak's fur.

Hawk whined affectionately and leant into the contact.

Leo grinned, cocking his reassembled rifle and leaning back in his seat. "They're both coming along with me for no particular reason at all."

Lightning nodded appreciatively.

"I'm glad you're no longer alone, Leo." She remarked. "There were always moments along the way where I'd stop and think about that strange otherworldly traveler who tagged along with us for a few months well, well before everything went sideways." Her eyes were nostalgic.

Her expression suddenly hardened.

"…I hope that your plans to return home haven't changed." She muttered lowly.

Leo blinked in surprise. "No, of course not." He tapped his head. "We have an estimated 11 days left until we have enough radiation to jump to another world." He explained. "The end goal is still the same; to get back to my home world."

"Good." Lightning said shortly.

"Why?" Velvet asked seriously, leaning forward in her seat towards Lightning. "Do you not want us around?" She asked pointedly.

Lightning opened her mouth to explain.

BING!

A crackling of static preceded the activation of the train-wide intercom system, drawing the attention of the occupants of the train car.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the train will be arriving at Yusnaan shortly. Please gather your belongings and prepare to disembark. Thank you."

BING!

"No, I don't want you here."

Light's voice was blunt and stoic, returning Velvet's and Leo's attention back to her. Leo in particular was surprised to find the alien hardness in her face, even more so than when the Light he had known entered soldier mode.

It was as if an invisible mask had returned onto her face. An actor slipping comfortably back into her role.

"This world is dying." Lightning's declaration was a statement of fact. Neither wanderer doubted her.

Leo spoke up. "Is it because everyone's stopped aging?"

Lightning nodded. "You three need to leave before then." She declared firmly. "There isn't much time left until the end."

_Time._

Velvet's eyes narrowed as she thought back to the woman's inhuman abilities during their fight. "Somehow, I get the feeling that what you're saying isn't just speculation." She muttered. "Did your God give you a memo?" She asked utterly seriously.

Lightning shook her head. "Just trust me." She stated, declining to elaborate on her statement. "This world is ending for sure. You three need to be gone by then."

"And what about you, Light?" Leo asked seriously, crossing his arms and staring directly at his old friend. "What are you doing before the world ends, 'Savior?'" He gestured pointedly at the woman's otherworldly outfit.

"My job," Lightning described succinctly, "is to save as many souls as I can before it does. To bring them into God's new world."

Not missing a beat, Leo leant forwards. "…Why?"

Above their heads, the brakes of the train began to squeal, the sharp sound intermingling with the repetitive clanking of the rail mechanisms.

"The Lightning Farron I knew," Leo continued seriously, "would've be the last person in this world who would willingly serve someone else unless it was out of her own volition. So, you tell me, Light." He shifted in his seat.

" _Why_  do you serve your God?" He implored. " _Why?!_ The one who woke you up without your consent? Why are you all dressed up and ready to break into Yusnaan once more and go 'save people's souls?'"

"Why do you think?" Lightning's response was an angry hiss.

The squealing of the brakes increased overhead. Patches of land began dotting the ocean as the vehicle began to slow.

Understanding dawned on Leo's face.

"…Serah." He mumbled. "Your sister. Of course."

Velvet blinked. She glanced between Leo and Lightning. "But I thought she…?"

"She did." Lightning confirmed. "But…" Her hand idly reached up to her chest, feeling the crystal embedded in her armor.

"… _He_  promised to bring her back."

Suddenly, Lightning's eyes snapped forwards and narrowed at the people sitting across from her. "And I will do anything,  _anything_ at all, to get her back." She stated firmly.

With a jolt, the train came to a complete halt. With a mechanic hiss, the exterior doors outside the compartment slid open through rusted grooves.

In a flash, Lightning was on her feet and on her way out the door. She abruptly stopped, her hand on the handle.

"…It was nice seeing you again, Leo." Lightning murmured, not looking at him. "But I have a job to do, and I have no time for distractions."

"Goodbye." And just like that, the Savior swept out of the train car and towards her duty.

For her sister's sake.

In the silence of the cabin, Leo let out a quiet sigh. "…Oh, Light." He murmured worriedly under his breath. "The hell have you gotten yourself into now?"

By his side, Velvet sat pensively, staring at the door which strange woman had left through. Her eyes… Velvet knew those eyes well.

She had seen them many times in her own reflection.

They were the eyes of someone whom had lost herself to her goal.

* * *

BANG!

Hawk shook his head in annoyance, pawing at his ears as he walked on the pavement, weaving his way through the heavy crowds in an effort to keep up with his master and his master's friend.

Velvet sent a glare of annoyance up towards the massive pink firework that had just exploded right above their heads, illuminating their world once more with a blinding flash of color.

Leo chuckled, watching both daemon and malak irritably suffering from the nightly fireworks display of Yusnaan, the City of Revelry. "Sucks to have such acute senses now, doesn't it?" He goaded.

Velvet turned her vicious glare onto her insufferable companion. "I seriously hope they let me beat the stuffing out of you at that coliseum of theirs." She muttered sourly.

Leo rolled his eyes, easily sidestepping a drunk pawing at him in the streets as he kept up his pace with the therion. "And then how the hell would we make the money then?" He shook his head. "Besides, you already doon a regular basis. Sadist." He muttered under his breath.

Velvet rolled her eyes, instead turning her attention out to the massive river of people flowing through the raucous city of Yusnaan.

Another explosion lit up the sky, temporarily adding to the brilliant vista of sparkling lights that made up the glittering skyline of the city. Bright lights were strung everywhere on every conceivable surface, ensuring that nobody could even think about sleeping through the festivities. Street performers played instruments at every street corner, blasting out anything with a tempo to add to the atmosphere. People cheered and people laughed. Almost nobody walking the streets was sober.

Velvet easily side-stepped the groping of a random drunken man, absently sweeping her foot to the side and causing the pervert to tumble onto the pavement behind her. Hawk made a point of using the fallen man's face as a spring-board to propel his way forward and catch up to the other two, ignoring his slurred moaning.

"So," Velvet began as she fell into step with Leo, "after we make enough money for a train ticket, where to next? You know people in this world, obviously."

Leo nodded, glancing up and absently observing a particularly bright firework in the sky. "Light mentioned the others. I have a mind of trying to find 'em." He gave Velvet a shrug. "To be honest, Velvet, I don't really have too much of a plan in mind."

"So, what else is new." Velvet rolled her eyes.

"Hey!" Leo returned indignantly. "Since when have I ever been that non-coordinated?!"

He abruptly stopped, realizing Velvet was no longer walking by his side. He turned around to find both Velvet and Hawk staring at him.

"The coliseum's this way." Velvet pointed out dryly, gesturing towards the plastered poster featuring a massive behemoth on the wall.

"…Shut up." Leo grumbled as he followed the two of them sourly.

"And about that woman." Velvet began, glancing over at her companion as he caught up with her. "Do any of your plans involve her?" She asked.

Leo sighed, rolling his shoulders lethargically as he considered the question. "I… don't know." He admitted.

His eyes were distant as he considered the conversation they'd had with the Savior earlier that day. "I never expected to see Lightning Farron again, ever since I left this world a long, long time ago."

"But now you have." Velvet pointed out, walking at his side. "And she's changed."

"No kidding." Leo huffed humorlessly. "You saw it too, right?"

"How could I not?" She shrugged. "From what I saw… it would seem that she's lost herself."

"Right…" Leo sighed. "It bugs me to say this, Velvet, but I don't really think I can help Light." He admitted softly.

He shrugged, gesturing around them. "I can't help a single person in this world. They're all  _hundreds_  upon  _hundreds_  of years old. You can't change people like them." Leo fiddled with his gun strap slung over his shoulder absently.

"That's what I think, at least." He muttered.

Velvet hummed absently, considering the man's words.

"I suppose." She mumbled in response.

The three of them continued to walk through the bustling streets, listening to the vibrant sounds of revelry as they did so.

"So, what the hell's a L'cie?" Velvet asked curiously, breaking the silence.

Leo let out a bark of laughter. "Oh man, you'd better get ready for this one." He grinned. "It might take all night for me to tell  _this_ story."

"Oh really?" Velvet raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. It's just as convoluted as the story of certain part-of-a-god monster borne from a substance founded upon the presence of overwhelming negative human emotion." Leo responded dryly.

She rolled her eyes, waving a hand. "Then give me the short version."

Leo sighed theatrically. "Young people these days! Always so impatient! When will you learn the value of sitting down and enjoying the small things in life?!"

Velvet had a hand rubbing her temple. "You're only 9 years older than me. Shove it." She muttered sourly.

Leo grinned. "Anyways," He waved his hand, beginning his story, "from what Light told me back when I was travelling with her, here's what I know about this world. For starters, It's called Nova Chrysalia. And there used to be two major factions. Pulse and Cocoon…"

Far up above their heads, the fireworks continued throughout the night; a fantastic backdrop for an endless revel in the face of darkness.

* * *

"Blood sport fans! Let's make some noise!"

The announcer's voice resounded off the hollowed walls of the coliseum, laying the foundation for the scores of cries and howls coming from the horde of spectators watching the event from the stands.

In the center of the sand pit, illuminated by blinding spotlights and brilliant bonfires, stood Leo and Velvet beside each other, their weapons at the ready. Hawk pattered around them in a circle protective, his teeth exposed as he snarled at their opponent.

The massive four-legged draconic monster roared as it advanced towards its prey, its eyes and mouth ablaze with rage.

Leo's eyes were narrowed as he analyzed their latest opponent, seeking out possible weak points and attributes. He cursed under his breath. "Why the hell does it always have to be a damn dragon?!"

Velvet gave him a look. "It was your greedy ass who wanted to go one more round!" She shot back, adjusting her stance in the sand, her steel boots clinking with the movement.

"The other Niblets were pieces of cake!" He muttered sourly. "I had no idea they'd be throwing  _that_ at us!"

Hawk gave his master a dry stare.

"Shut it mutt! If we die, I'm blaming you!"

"Hush!" Velvet shushed sharply. "Remember the plan, both of you!" She ordered, tensing her body in preparation to charge.

"Alright." Leo took a good long breath and closed his eyes.

On the other side of the arena, the dragon continued to advance at a steady rate. The roars of the crowd grew louder the closer the beast grew. Every single slam of the monster's paws meant the massive predator was one step closer to shredding them apart.

Mentally running over the plan once more in his head and finding no fault in it, Leo opened his eyes.

"…NOW!" He yelled, raising his rifle.

On his order, Velvet and Hawk burst into motion.

CRACK!

BANG!

The massive monster roared in agony as the explosive round detonated right between its eyes, thrashing its neck and tail instinctively.

In a flash, Hawk and Velvet were at the monster's left and right flanks, fang and sword extended respectively. In near perfect synchronization, the two of them tore through the thinner hide of the monster's lower belly and leapt away just as it howled furiously. Blood squirted everywhere, painting the sand red.

The crowd went wild, cheering and whooping as the fighters drew back away from the suffering monster. It thrashed furiously, livid beyond belief that its prey was infuriatingly out of reach.

Leo roughly cocked his rifle, a spent shell landing dully on the sand below.

Velvet's eyes narrowed, her heightened senses being the first to detect their opponent's powerful intake of air. "SCATTER!" She yelled, leaping back into the air.

Hawk and Leo dropped everything and dove for each other, Hawk's eyes glowing bright as he channeled mana from his domain. Leo managed to slide inside the forming shield arte radius right as the first explosion hit.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Massive explosions shook the foundations of the weathered stone arena as the draconic monster's successive fireballs blasted where the three had been standing.

With a breath, the monster caught its breath, glaring acutely down into the carpet of smoke and dust disturbed by its last attack. Its tail lashed in agitation, wafting the particles in the air.

The crowd watched with bated breath.

"Homing Fire!"

CRACK!

A brilliant flare blinded the spectators and dragon as a bullet shot directly up through the smoke and into the sky, intermingling with the residual gunpowder from the fireworks display and the stars.

"Now, Velvet!" Leo yelled, slinging his rifle behind his back and charging forward through the smoke.

"Got it!" Velvet affirmed, appearing directly across the arena from him with her own blade extended.

Both sword-users raised their blades at the same time.

"CROSS THRUST!" They yelled in tandem.

Two trails of blazing red mana sliced through the monster from two different angles, following behind Velvet and Leo's simultaneous mana-infused charge. Dirt and sand flew up as their boots found purchase in the ground as they recovered from the mystic arte.

Gasping for breath, Leo sheathed his sword and whirled around, watching as their opponent wavered on its feet.

With a groan, the ponderous dragon stumbled to its feet, struggling under the pain of numerous dripping wounds dotting its tough skin.

"Hawk!" Leo growled angrily as the dragon stomped closer and closer towards him, fire in its breath. "Any day now!"

A distant howl was his reprimanding answer. Like a falling star, the fired homing bullet Leo had shot arced back down to the world with incredible velocity.

And landed on the monster's spine with pin-point accuracy.

BANG!

With a ponderous groan, the massive dragon toppled to the dirt, blasting a plume of dirt and sand out in every direction.

Coughing and waving his hand in the air to clear the dust, Leo stumbled towards the motionless dragon in the center of the arena. Huffing and puffing, Hawk found his way over to his master, giving the man a reproachful yowl.

"Yeah, yeah. You did good, mutt." Leo grumbled good-naturedly.

Together, the two of them came to a stop in front of the fallen behemoth, surrounded by plumes of disturbed dirt.

"What was the reward for this guy, again?" He asked out loud to nobody in particular.

"LEO!"

The man in question let out a shout of fright as he realized that the monster was in fact, not dead. On the contrary, its massive neck was in the process of tensing to bite him.

SHINK!

The dragon let out a howl of agony as Velvet's sword sunk into its unprotected belly. "You thought I'd stop there?" Her eyes were blood red with fury.

"Annihilating  _ **CRASH**_!"

CRUNCH.

Velvet's therion claw sank deep into the monster's skin, killing it instantly. Tainted purple blood fountained out from the claw wound, squirting out in all directions.

Leo winced as a mass of still-lukewarm blood splattered onto his forehead and left eye. He ignored his revulsion and forced himself to move forward and put a hand on Velvet's heaving shoulder.

"Hey! Hey!" He shook the therion's shoulder, wrenching herself away from her combat instincts. Her red eyes were wild as they gazed upon his blood-splattered face.

He sheathed his sword and put both hands on both shoulders, ignoring the monstrous claw held between them. "Put it away now, before they see, or we're both gonna be in hot water!" He insisted.

Finally finding herself through Leo's words, Velvet calmed down.

Her claw disconnected from the monster with a loud squelch, dripping with undevoured blood. She dispelled the otherworldly appendage right as the last vestiges of dust blew away, revealing the result of the battle to the crowd.

The spectators burst into raucous applause at the sight of the bloodied dragon.

"Innnncredible!" The announcer's voice sang. "The challengers Leo and Velvet have completely decimated our arena's toughest foe! We are witnessing history in the making tonight, folks! Let's make some noise for these two champions!"

The crowd happily obliged, roaring out in delight.

Velvet caught her breath, giving Leo a thankful glance as the roar of the crowd deafened them. "Thanks." She breathed. "I suppose I nearly got carried away there."

Leo grinned back, easily wiping the blood off his face with his sleeve. "Hey, no problem. Consider it a thank-you for saving my life."

"Again." Velvet's lips upturned into a smirk. "Sucks to have such dull senses, now doesn't it?" She goaded.

Down by their feet, Hawk mocked Leo with taunting yips.

"Yeah, yeah." Leo rolled his eyes at their collective amusement as he turned towards the exit. "Come on, let's grab our rewards and get the hell outta here. I'm exhausted."

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" The announcer's sudden intrusive voice stopped him in his tracks. The three of them glanced up in surprise. "I'm pleased to announce a change in slaughterhouse plans tonight!"

A pause. The surrounding crowd thrummed in growing anticipation and speculation for the unplanned modification to the schedule.

"A last-minute challenger has arrived to contest tonight's prize!" The announcer sang. "One final battle will ensue! The famous Midnight Mauve dress will go to the winner!"

Velvet's eye twitched. "A dress?" She deadpanned.

The man in question was dumbfounded. "What?! Nobody told me we were fighting for a dress!" He yelped. "The hell!"

"Hey, I'm not wearing that." Velvet's tone brooked no argument.

"Fine, we'll give it to Hawk." Leo suggested drolly as he reached behind his back and reloaded his rifle. He gave a groan, stretching his limbs. "Damnit! I'm tired!"

"Stop complaining." Velvet rolled her eyes, idly readying her gauntlet straps in preparation. Her eyes narrowed as she took in the form of their next opponent entering the arena across from them.

Lightning Farron's sword sang loudly to the delight of the crowd as she advanced upon the three of them, her heels crunching loudly in the sand.

Leo exchanged a wary glance with Velvet before yelling out, "Fancy meeting you here, Light!"

The savior let out a light huff, easing her body into battle stance a good distance away from the others. "Sorry guys." Her eyes narrowed as she assessed them standing before the fallen body of the dragon. "I'll be taking that dress." She declared.

Velvet's eyes were sharp as she took in the warrior's hardened stance. "You ready to kill us for it?" She asked tautly.

Lightning's carved expression didn't change. "If needs be, yes." She confirmed, her boots scraping loudly on the arena floor as she inched closer towards her opponents.

"Well, I can't say I wanted that dress in the first place…" Velvet's lips began to upturn into a vicious smirk. "But I won't say no to a rematch."

"Heh." Lightning's scoff was arrogant. "You think you'll be able to do any better than you did last time?"

"We won't until we try." Velvet shot back, stepping forward steadily towards her opponent. Her face was twisted into a confident smirk.

In the background, Leo and Hawk exchanged helpless glances.

"Well, nothing to it, I suppose." Leo shrugged, sliding his rifle off his shoulder and clicking the safety off.

Hawk let out a light huff before trotting forward in resignation. This was going to be a tough battle, he could already tell.

The crowd watched with bated breath as the two sides closed in on each other. On one side, three close companions whom had each other's backs. On the other, a lone challenger, whose only companion was her own fierce determination.

At once, they charged forwards and clashed, drawing more blood for the entertainment of a dying world.


End file.
